Another Saturday in the Park

The HEADoc took his newly purchased used chain saw from the A-1 Pawn Shop in Burlington to Siler City last Saturday searching for some physical action with nature.                                  

 Those poor trees and brush didn't stand a chance. On the third pull the starter cord broke loose and there were no tools to fix it with so The HEADoc had to go back to the old bush axe and the bow saw to resume his project to reclaim the land of his birth place from the over growth that rendered the place totally unrecognizable. The HEADoc complained of pains in the back and the legs and the hands after a couple of hours of this rigorous activity. His chest felt tight from the exertion and he breathed heavily but he knew his heart was strong and the fatigue was just a result of the sedentary lifestyle he had become accustomed to over the years of practicing his healing craft. He had become a stranger to the gym and the master of all procrastinators in his come back plan to recondition his once lean and hard body. Gone were the days of the gridiron, the full court hoops, and even the ball diamond. These were now replaced by the sofa, remote control and the keys used to enter this essentially useless information to be made available to your approving eyes.

 The HEADoc did enjoy wrestling with the trees, briars, and brush in a way that might cause an observer to maybe question his sanity and ask why a grown man would choose to spend his Saturday afternoon chopping and sawing on that poor helpless vegetation. The work was unbelievably strenuous and tedious and it would take many days of work at this pace before notable progress could be really appreciated by anyone other than The HEADoc. Yet he forged ahead on his quest to clear the land where he played as a child. To the outsider this patch of woods was just the forest next to Old Highway 421. To the HEADoc this was perhaps the most special place on earth because of the memories associated here.

The HEADoc was soon struck by a brilliant idea.   He would use one of the oldest forces of nature to assist him in clearing the growing pile of trees and brush which had become quite considerable in size. The HEADoc did not wish to make the Chatham News as the one who foolishly burned down half of the County so he checked the moisture level of the ground and saw that the recent heavy rains had made it improbable that a brush fire could get out of control. He summoned the memory of watching his uncle burn off overgrowth 40 plus years ago. Alas! The fire was started but there was little that would burn other that the small evergreens on the pile and the surrounding leaves. There was, however, smoke. Lots and lots of smoke. Smoke that could probably be seen for miles away. The HEADoc was unimpressed with the actual fire so for the sake of interest he allowed the leaves to burn on the surface of the ground. These flames moved fairly fast but burned out almost instantly after consuming the top layer of dry leaves. There were natural barriers on every side of the fire to limit the spread so the HEADoc was starting to relax and enjoy his pyromaniac adventure. The flames to him seemed to have a calming effect.

 Those familiar with The HEADoc know that he rarely shows much excitement. It takes a lot to rattle him. He finds most of today's news stories to be hyped up for ratings and designed to keep the public a bit frightened and needing to tune in for the next scare. The HEADoc is the ultimate skeptic. So the thought of wildfires shown to the public on the news never really crossed The HEADoc's mind in any serious way on this day. By the way, The HEADoc also hates cell phones, most of the time. Had the HEADoc been thinking on this particular Saturday he may have considered getting a burning permit but he apparently was not thinking that astutely and thought he might be able to enjoy his late afternoon flames uninterrupted. Not so! Some loyal motorist with a cell phone felt obligated to notify the local fire department of a horrendous forest fire out of control. Thus, the action begins. The sirens begin to sound off for miles around disrupting the blissful trance enjoyed by The HEADoc as he listens to the faint crackles of the burning leaves and admires the modest flames. The HEADoc felt as though there were two totally different worlds as the fire trucks arrived, one after another. He felt as though his party had been crashed as he witnessed the enormous hoses extinguish his soothing entertainment for the day. The HEADoc could not quite understand what all the excitement was about. In his mind he knew that the fire was under control. He began to feel a bit concerned when the fire chief told him he was burning the forest. That's when it dawned on The HEADoc that others were incapable of seeing what he envisioned. He saw himself reclaiming his home whereas others saw a reckless nut burning down the forest.

                                                

 In the HEADoc's defense, no laws were broken on this day since, fortunately, the state wide burning band had been lifted by Govenor Easley on the previous day. He was burning on his own property. The fire department could argue that The HEADoc lacked sufficient means to prove he could stop the fire from spreading beyond his control. The HEADoc of course disagrees and would have called the fire Dept himself if he had felt he needed them. In the future he will follow the foresters advise of giving a courtesy call to the fire Dept the next time he burns so they will know not to crash the party.

                                             

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